Peter Paul Lötscher, the eldest son of Christian Lötscher and Magdalena Buol from St. Antönien, Prättigau, Canton Graubünden, Switzerland. He was a potter by profession and emigrated to Arkansas in 1871 with his cousin Peter Lötscher, son of Hans Lötscher from St. Antönien. His most famous cousin in the USA was Christian Lötscher (August 2, 1850 – May 10, 1922) from the Farley and Loetscher Manufacturing Company in Dubuque, Iowa. (This history provided by Andreas Heege.)
He married Magdalena Luck in 1868 in Sankt Gallen, Switzerland.
Peter Paul is listed in the book, "Faulkner, A Land, Its People" as one of the signers of the order to make Conway a city. He is listed as "P.P. Loetscher."
He was a potter by heritage but listed himself as a brick maker when he immigrated to the USA. He became a vintner in Conway and later encountered problems during a time when the people of the area were declaring their county "dry." An ordinance was passed that no alcohol could be served within three miles of a school. There was a college built after his vineyard and bar were already in place. This college made him in violation of the ordinance and put him at risk for losing his entire livelihood. When he would not shut down his wine production, tensions grew high. He was eventually beaten, by two drunk men who came to him seeking alcohol. He was then dragged into court, while barely alive. His land was stripped from him so his children could not inherit, and he died within days, from his injuries. His drunken assailants were not convicted of murder, nor were even disciplined for being drunk in a dry county. They were temporarily celebrated as heroes for ridding the county of alcohol. His descendants all moved from the town that he helped found. There was some effort later to bring his assailants to justice, but the situation was never really resolved. Read all about the tragic murder here: http://www.eclecticatbest.com/2016/04/the-swiss-vintner-prohibitionist-mayor.html
He married Magdalena Luck in 1868 in Sankt Gallen, Switzerland.
Peter Paul is listed in the book, "Faulkner, A Land, Its People" as one of the signers of the order to make Conway a city. He is listed as "P.P. Loetscher."
He was a potter by heritage but listed himself as a brick maker when he immigrated to the USA. He became a vintner in Conway and later encountered problems during a time when the people of the area were declaring their county "dry." An ordinance was passed that no alcohol could be served within three miles of a school. There was a college built after his vineyard and bar were already in place. This college made him in violation of the ordinance and put him at risk for losing his entire livelihood. When he would not shut down his wine production, tensions grew high. He was eventually beaten, by two drunk men who came to him seeking alcohol. He was then dragged into court, while barely alive. His land was stripped from him so his children could not inherit, and he died within days, from his injuries. His drunken assailants were not convicted of murder, nor were even disciplined for being drunk in a dry county. They were temporarily celebrated as heroes for ridding the county of alcohol. His descendants all moved from the town that he helped found. There was some effort later to bring his assailants to justice, but the situation was never really resolved. Read all about the tragic murder here: http://www.eclecticatbest.com/2016/04/the-swiss-vintner-prohibitionist-mayor.html
Peter Paul Lötscher, the eldest son of Christian Lötscher and Magdalena Buol from St. Antönien, Prättigau, Canton Graubünden, Switzerland. He was a potter by profession and emigrated to Arkansas in 1871 with his cousin Peter Lötscher, son of Hans Lötscher from St. Antönien. His most famous cousin in the USA was Christian Lötscher (August 2, 1850 – May 10, 1922) from the Farley and Loetscher Manufacturing Company in Dubuque, Iowa. (This history provided by Andreas Heege.)
He married Magdalena Luck in 1868 in Sankt Gallen, Switzerland.
Peter Paul is listed in the book, "Faulkner, A Land, Its People" as one of the signers of the order to make Conway a city. He is listed as "P.P. Loetscher."
He was a potter by heritage but listed himself as a brick maker when he immigrated to the USA. He became a vintner in Conway and later encountered problems during a time when the people of the area were declaring their county "dry." An ordinance was passed that no alcohol could be served within three miles of a school. There was a college built after his vineyard and bar were already in place. This college made him in violation of the ordinance and put him at risk for losing his entire livelihood. When he would not shut down his wine production, tensions grew high. He was eventually beaten, by two drunk men who came to him seeking alcohol. He was then dragged into court, while barely alive. His land was stripped from him so his children could not inherit, and he died within days, from his injuries. His drunken assailants were not convicted of murder, nor were even disciplined for being drunk in a dry county. They were temporarily celebrated as heroes for ridding the county of alcohol. His descendants all moved from the town that he helped found. There was some effort later to bring his assailants to justice, but the situation was never really resolved. Read all about the tragic murder here: http://www.eclecticatbest.com/2016/04/the-swiss-vintner-prohibitionist-mayor.html
He married Magdalena Luck in 1868 in Sankt Gallen, Switzerland.
Peter Paul is listed in the book, "Faulkner, A Land, Its People" as one of the signers of the order to make Conway a city. He is listed as "P.P. Loetscher."
He was a potter by heritage but listed himself as a brick maker when he immigrated to the USA. He became a vintner in Conway and later encountered problems during a time when the people of the area were declaring their county "dry." An ordinance was passed that no alcohol could be served within three miles of a school. There was a college built after his vineyard and bar were already in place. This college made him in violation of the ordinance and put him at risk for losing his entire livelihood. When he would not shut down his wine production, tensions grew high. He was eventually beaten, by two drunk men who came to him seeking alcohol. He was then dragged into court, while barely alive. His land was stripped from him so his children could not inherit, and he died within days, from his injuries. His drunken assailants were not convicted of murder, nor were even disciplined for being drunk in a dry county. They were temporarily celebrated as heroes for ridding the county of alcohol. His descendants all moved from the town that he helped found. There was some effort later to bring his assailants to justice, but the situation was never really resolved. Read all about the tragic murder here: http://www.eclecticatbest.com/2016/04/the-swiss-vintner-prohibitionist-mayor.html
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